Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers Fall 2019

1. Design for Electrical and Computer EngineersFall 2019 Chapter 4 Concept Generation and Evaluation

2. 4.1 Creativity • What is the difference between creativity and innovation ?

3. 4.1. Creativity • Is creativity something inherent in the individual or something that can be learned? Both are true; some individuals are naturally creative, yet people can enhance their creativity with great effort and practice.

4. 4.1.1 Barriers to Creativity • Perceptual blocks • Prevent people from clearly seeing the problem for what it is. • A tendency to delimit the problem space by putting constraints on the problem that don’t exist. • A tendency to stereotype a solution to a problem with respect to former experiences. • The difficulty of isolating the true problem.

5. 4.1.1 Barriers to Creativity • Perceptual blocks • Each of images shown has two different interpretations. Can you determine what they are ?

6. 4.1.1 Barriers to Creativity • Emotional blocks • Prevent people from expressing the ideas since they may be criticized or may not have the “correct” answer. • A fear of failure. • A fear of chaos and disorganization. • A tendency to critically judge ideas, rather than generate and build upon them.

7. 4.1.1 Barriers to Creativity • Environmental blocks • Refer to those things in our environment that limit creative ability. • This could be in the form of poor teamwork where members distrust and criticize each other. • Cultural biases against creativity.

8. 4.1.1 Barriers to Creativity • Intellectual and expressive blocks • In engineering context, the designer needs to have an understanding of intellectual tools that are applied to solve problems. • Mathematics is a universal language for expressing and solving the scientific problems. • In digital design, the truth tables and state diagrams are used. • In the domain of electronics, a functional approach (input, output, and function) is commonly used.

9. 4.1.3 Strategies to Enhance Creativity • Have a questioning attitude • One of the key is to have a questioning attitude and challenge assumptions. Asking basic questions stimulates creativity and is applicable to technical designs. • Practice being creative • Research shows that people can improve their creative ability through conscious effort.

10. 4.1.3 Strategies to Enhance Creativity • Suspend judgement • It is easy to criticize and immediately dismiss ideas, so it is important to defer judgment and be flexible in thinking. • Allow time • The creative process needs time for incubation. The human mind needs time to work on problems, so set aside time to reflect on the problem.

11. 4.1.3 Strategies to Enhance Creativity • Think like a beginner • New solutions often come from novices. The reason is that novices don’t have preconceived ideas as to the solution for a problem.